Authentication is the process of identifying individuals before allowing them to log on.
Authentication in Cognos 8 is integrated with third-party authentication providers. Authentication providers define users, groups, and roles used for authentication. User names, IDs, passwords, regional settings, and personal preferences are some examples of information stored in the authentication source accessed by the provider. An authentication namespace is an instance of a configured authentication provider.
To set up authentication for Cognos 8, you must configure Cognos 8 using one or more of these authentication providers:
LDAP
Windows NT LAN Manager (NTLM)
Microsoft Active Directory
Cognos 7 namespaces created using Cognos 7 Access Manager and available with other Cognos products
eTrust SiteMinder
Custom Java provider
For information about configuring third-party authentication providers, see the Installation and Configuration Guide. For information about creating a custom authentication provider, see the Custom Authentication Provider Developer Guide, available when you purchase the Cognos 8 software development kit.
For information about anonymous access and authenticated access, see Request Flow Processing.
Cognos 8 has its own namespace that exists regardless of any additional namespaces that are configured based on third-party authentication providers. The Cognos namespace does not replicate the groups and roles defined in your authentication provider. Instead, you may want to use the Cognos namespace to define groups and roles that can span multiple third-party authentication providers. This practice can add value to your existing groups and roles by reorganizing them for Cognos 8 without changing them in your authentication provider.
You can use the Cognos namespace to set up security that links easily with client security systems. For an example, see Using the Cognos Namespace to Restrict Access. For more information, see the Administration and Security Guide.
You can configure Cognos 8 for single signon. Users can then sign on once to an environment that includes Cognos 8 and other programs, without having to sign on each time they move between programs. Implementation of a single signon solution depends on the environment and authentication provider configuration.
For more information, see the Installation and Configuration Guide.